Railroad-joint



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

s. A. KILMER.

RAILROAD JOINT.

No. 371,688. Patented Oct. 18, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. A. KILMER.

RAILROAD JOINT.

No. 371,688. Patented Oct. 18,1887.

Fig.9.

ummunnn:

Fay. Z91.

i i/ mama Suva To:

95 4 fim maz LII UNITED STATES S. ANDRAL KILMER, OF BINGHAMTON, NEXV YORK.

RAILROAD-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,688, dated October 18, 1887.

Application filed February 2-1, 1887. Serial No. 228,752. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concerm Be it known that I, S. ANDRAL KILMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ItailroadJoints; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of the device in position. Fig. 2 is a section on line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line y y, Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6show three forms of the boltproteetor. Fig. 7 is a side view of the rail, parts broken away to show one of the fishplates and rollers. Fig. 8 is a detail 'under view. Fig. 9 is aside view oft-he outside fishplate. Fig. 10 is a side view of the inside tish-plate,the foot being removed. Fig. 11 is a top view of the fislrplates, the rails being re moved. Fig. 12 is a detail modification in section. Fig. 13 is another detail modification in section. Fig. His anotherdetailmodiiication in section.

This invention relates to improvements in the road-beds ot' railroads, more particularly to the features connected with the construction of the rail-joints at the meeting ends of rails.

In railroads as ordinarily constructed it is a matter of common experience that as the' rails contract and expand,causing a movement between the fish'plates, the attempted resiliency of the latter-does not compensate for the movement. As wear ensues, the bolts are tightened; but withal the fish plates spread and the web of the rails come in contact with the bolts,cutting them in grooves and binding them, so that when the wrench is applied for tightening the fish-plates the bolts crack, the weight of a train breaks them, and accidents occur.

It is the object of one part of this invention to provide the belts with a protector, which allows the free expansion and contraction of the rails, stifl'ens the fish-plates, allows heavier ones to be used, and protects the bolts from wear.

By the use of another feature the tendency for pressure at one end of a fislrplate to jump up the other end is avoided.

In the annexed drawings, theletters A A indicate two rails having the meeting ends a a, at which are placed the fish-plates,'as usual. The fish-plate B has cast with it the foot I) at its middle. This foot extends to such a distance each side of the middle line of the fishplate as to brace the plate strongly. The foot extends out at a right angle to the bottom of the fish-plate and has the spike-holes b. Rising up from this foot at the exact middle of the fislrplate is the back brace, b", terminated under the flange b on the top of the fish-plate. At each end the foot B has on its under side a dovetail groove, 0, which engages a corre sponding tongue, 0, upon an under toe, O, the projecting end 0 of which catches under the end of the rail, as shown in Fig. 8. If desired, however, the foot I) need not be used, but it makes a much stronger fislrplate. After the fish-plates are secured in place on the rail, spikes are driven into the holes I), securing the plate to a cross-tie. The outside fish-plate, D, is also strengthened by a. backing, b. The fislrplate B is provided with the due number of rectangular holes d, properly spaced apart for the bolts. These holes are out entirely through the plate B. The outside fish-plate, D,- has the same number of round boltholes (1 made through it, spaced apart, as are the holes d.

On the inside of the fish-plate D and about the holes (1 are recesses d", of the same shape and sizeas the holes (I, and they align pair for pair when the fislrplatcs are in position.

The meeting ends of the rails are provided with rectangular openings a, both rails together having the same number as there are holes (Z. The openings a are of the same depth as that of the holes d, but they are longer than the holes.

The letter E represents the bolt-protector. This is preferably a rectangular block having the smooth or unthreaded bore 0 passing lengthwise through it. This block in crosssection has the area of the holes d and recesses d" and tits them. The bore 0 is of a size for the ordinary bolt, F. After the rails arelaid and the fish-plates put into place, the protectors E are slipped through the holes (Z, openings a, and rested in the recesses d. Then the bolts are slipped from the other side through the bores c. A plate, f, is then slipped on, and against this a spring-washer, G, and then the nut H.

On the inside the fish-plates are provided with pockets 7t it, two for each plate, on each side of the middle, there being one quite close to each side of the middle, and therefore close to the end of each rail. These pockets contain cylindrical rollers K, arranged vertically and loosely in the pockets, fitting the latter snugly. These rollers project beyond the faces of the plates any determinatedistance. When the spring -washer hereinafter described is used, these rollers will have their pockets of the same depth throughout.

InFig. 12 is shown a form by using which the springwasher can be dispensed with. Here the pockets have bottoms p", which flare outwardly toward the ends of the rails, so that the pockets are deeper away from these ends. As the rails change with the variation of temperature, these rollers move in and out and allow full compensation without affecting the fish-plates.

As thus constructed, the rails have a free play within the fish-plate. The rollers allow of the movement. The bolts are not, under any circumstances, touched by the rails and cannot be cut. The protectors brace the fishplates. The nuts can be turned on the bolts, taking up Wear without danger of breaking the bolts, as they move freely through the protectors. The latter brace the fish-plates, which are bound firmly against the protectors by the bolts. WVith this construction stronger fish-plates than usual are used. To provide resiliency for them, I employ a novel springwasher, G. Thisis asplit fiat ring, wavy in the direction of its circular length, and having diverging grooves g in each surface at the top of each curve or wave. The effort of the compression to flatten this ring and its resist ance consequent upon its construction gives great elasticity, which is imparted to the fish plates and holds them, though stiffened more than usual, against the variation of the rails under change of temperature. When this joint is to be used upon a curve, the fish-plates are put down practically straight; but the size of the rollers is varied according to the radius of the curve, the position of the rollers in the plates being varied so thataline touching the If in using this particular feature on a railroad at the joint it should be deemed inadvisable to allow the rail to bear upon the block or proteetor, the latter could be grooved at top and bottom between the fish plates. This would keep the rail from striking the protector, while the latter would perform its useful functions andthe rail would bear upon the strengthened fish-plates. This form is shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 6, this protector may have its edges rounded; also, if desired,

instead of a separate protector being used with the cut and recessed fish-plates, these plates may be made with each of them provided with one half of the protector and the other plate with the other half, and the two halves coming together, as indicated in Fig.

13, at n n, p being the bolt; or the protector may be cast wholly with one fish-plate, as in Fig. 14.

In the present case I make no claim to the friction-rollers and the construction of the fishplates connected therewith, as the same is the subject of another application.

Having described my invention, what I claim is rail or analogous device having for the bolt J 'and its protector a slot which is longer than the cross-section of the protector, asset forth.

3. The combination of a bolt and its protector, having a smooth bore for the b0lt,witl1 the fish-plates and rails of a railroad-joint,said

rails having a slot which is longer than the :05

cross-section of the protector, as set forth.

4. The combination of a bolt, its protector having a smooth bore, with the fish-plates and rails of a railroad-joint, one fish-plate having holes corresponding to the size of the protector, I 10 the other fish-plate having a bolt-hole and inside a recess corresponding to the hole in the other fish-plate,and the rails an opening of the depth of the hole, but longer, as set forth.

5. A fish-plate having the foot extending out from its base, said foot having the separable under toe, as set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v S. ANDRAL KILMER.

WVitnesses:

A. KILMER, W. A. KILMER.

1. The combination of a bolt and-its pro- 90 

